Serbs and their migrations
The original Serbs and Croats were Central Asian Sarmatian nomads who entered Europe with the Huns in the fourth century A.D. The Sarmatian Serbs settled in a land designated as White Serbia, in what is now Saxony and Western Poland. The Sarmatian Serbs, it is argued, intermarried with the indigenous Slavs of the region, adopted their language, and transferred their name to the Slavs. Byzantine sources report that some Serbs migrated southward in the seventh century A.D. and eventually settled in the lands that now make up southern Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Hercegovina. Rival chiefs, or zupani, vied to control the Serbs for five centuries after the migration. Zupan Vlastimir formed a Serbian principality under the Byzantines around 850, and the Serbs soon converted to Eastern-rite Christianity. The Serbs had two political centers in the eleventh century: Zeta, in the mountains of present-day Montenegro, and Raska, located in modern southwestern Serbia.
The proto-Serbs were part of the Caucasian Race much like the Georgians, Mingrelians, Lezghians, Ingush, and spoke a language similar to these peoples. At some point in the history of the Serbs, this Old Serb language stood side by side with the Slavic language in White Serbia (Porphyrogenitus) and likely even in the first 300 years leading up to the formation of the Serb state on the Balkans in the 9th century. Even to this day, the Serb language has at least a third as many words in its vocabulary than other Slavic languages. This is because of the influence of Old Serb and Illyrian as well as Turkish on the Slavic language spoken by Serbs today. Here is a list of Old Serb words which exist side by side with Slavic words in the modern Serb language.
The Serbs were mentioned by Plinius the Younger in the first century BC (69-75) as living on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as Serboi in his Geographica. In the 2nd century, Herodotus writes in his Persian Wars that Serbs (Serboi, Sirboi - Serboi, Sirboi) live behind the Caucasus, near the hinterland of the Black Sea. In the fourth century the Carpathians are mentioned as 'Serb mountains' by the Roman emperor Licinius. In the Caucasus, the homeland of the Serbs, they left their traces around the river Volga (Araxes in Greek). In modern Georgian, that river is called "Rashki". This name was used by Balkan Serbs as a name for their first state and is found wherever the name Serb is found in clusters indicating settlements. It is often used to designate hydronyms and likely meant 'river' or 'water' in Old Serb. The Serbs migrated in two directions from the Caucasus, northwest and northeast. Those who went northwest became overlords to the Slavs. There they established a mighty empire and became slavicized. Konstantine Porfirogenitus called this "White Serbia". Their descendants are known as Lusatian Serbs today and despite immense Germanization, there are still a few thousand left. These we will call 'White Serbs'. The other branch moved northeast to the southern base of the Urals, settled there for a period of time and split into two. We will call them 'Volga Serbs'. One tribe moved west and eventually met up with the above mentioned White Serbs. The other moved east and went deep into Siberia and left its traces in the names of cities and towns along the coast of the Sea of Japan. They faded out with onslaught from the Mongols. These we will call 'Siberian Serbs'. It seems likely that Siberia was named after this Old Serb tribe. It seems that the western branch of the Volga Serbs, upon their rendezvous with the White Serbs did not stay long. They must have found the White Serbs completely Slavicized by then (6th century). The descendants of these Slavicized white Serbs are today's Lusation Sorbs. This would explain why Lusatian Sorbs did not pick up the Caucasian words of the original Serb language while Balkan Serbs retained theirs. The western Volga branch of the Serbs must have left White Serbia immediately upon their own arrival, and according to Porfirogenitus, came to the Balkans (7th cent), invited by Heracleus, defeated the Avars and were given Macedonia to inhabit. There they took the already settled Slavs (who began arriving in the 5th and 6th cents) under their control and became Slavicized much as the White Serbs. These Slavs who came before the Serbs had already assimilated the Illyrians, who were an Indo European people. Most contemporary historians agree that the old Serbs were no Slavs, at all, but a non-Slavic caste ruling over Slavs. Serbs: living among the ancient peoples of the Black Sea
The first mention of the Serbs ('Serboi') in history locates them in the Caucasus among the Dinaric peoples of Ibero-caucasian linguistic stock. Here are a few of the earsliest quotations from well known ancient geographers and historians:
Strabon (63 - 19. god. stare ere) "...the rivier Ksant is called Srbika by the natives." ( Strabonis rerum geographicarum libri septendicini, Basileza 1571 s. 763)
Plinius (69-75 AD) "... beside the Cimerians live Meotics, Valians Serbs (Serboi), Zingians, Psesians." ("On Nature" "A Cimmerio accolunt Meadici, Vali, Serbi, Zingi, Psesii - Plinius Ceacilius Secundus Historia naturalis, VI, c. 7 & 19 Leipzig 1975)
Claudius Ptolomei (150 AD) - geographer " ... between the Keraunian mountains and the river Pa, live the Orineians, Valians and Serbs." (Claudius Ptolomaius, Geographica... V, s. 9)
Authentic Serb Names in Asia Minor
The Republic of Georgia:
Serbaisi, Georgia, Republic of Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.32, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
41.9500 Longitude 43.3000 Altitude (feet) 1692\
Lat (DMS)
41° 57' 0N Long (DMS) 43° 17' 60E Altitude (meters) 515
Serebryannoye, Georgia, Republic of Page
Latitude
43.3667 Longitude 40.8000 Altitude (feet) 2437
Lat (DMS)
43° 22' 0N Long (DMS) 40° 47' 60E Altitude (meters) 742
Serebryanoye, Georgia, Republic of Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.58, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
43.3283 Longitude 40.8539 Altitude (feet) 2372
Lat (DMS)
43° 19' 42N Long (DMS) 40° 51' 14E Altitude (meters) 722
Serebryanyy, Georgia, Republic of Page
Latitude
43.3667 Longitude 40.8000 Altitude (feet) 2437
Lat (DMS)
43° 22' 0N Long (DMS) 40° 47' 60E Altitude (meters) 742
Armenia:
Serebryanyy, Georgia, Republic of Page
Latitude
43.3667 Longitude 40.8000 Altitude (feet) 2437
Lat (DMS)
43° 22' 0N Long (DMS) 40° 47' 60E Altitude (meters) 742
Azerbaijan:
Serebovski, Azerbaijan Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 5.91, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
40.3956 Longitude 49.9736 Altitude (feet) 403
Lat (DMS)
40° 23' 44N Long (DMS) 49° 58' 25E Altitude (meters) 122
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=40.3956&long=49.9736&name=Serebovski&cty=Azerbaijan&alt=403
Serebrovskiy, Azerbaijan Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 5.55, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
40.3956 Longitude 49.9736 Altitude (feet) 403
Lat (DMS)
40° 23' 44N Long (DMS) 49° 58' 25E Altitude (meters) 122
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=40.3956&long=49.9736&name=Serebrovskiy&cty=Azerbaijan&alt=403
Seri-abad, Azerbaijan Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 5.66, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
39.3736 Longitude 48.5767 Altitude (feet) 3
Lat (DMS)
39° 22' 25N Long (DMS) 48° 34' 36E Altitude (meters) 0
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=39.3736&long=48.5767&name=Seri%2dabad&cty=Azerbaijan&alt=3
Ser-Abad, Azerbaijan Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.57, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
39.3783 Longitude 48.5975 Altitude (feet) 3
Lat (DMS)
39° 22' 42N Long (DMS) 48° 35' 51E Altitude (meters) 0
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=39.3783&long=48.5975&name=Ser%2dAbad&cty=Azerbaijan&alt=3
There are also countless Serb toponyms (too many to list) found all over Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, Germany to attest to the migration of Serbs from the Caucasus to northern Europe and to their present location in the Balkans.
At first we find the Serb name in the above mentioned locations in the Caucasus. Then we find the Serb name breaking into two directions with one branch shifting NORTHWEST out of the Caucasus region into southern Russia towards the Ukraine and Central Europe. We find the Serb name moving across the Ukraine and along the Carpathians into Central Europe. It is appropriate to note that the in the third century Roman emperor Licinius referred to the Carpathians as 'Serb mountains'.
We find another row of Serb toponyms moving northeast from the Caucasus towards the base of the Ural mountains. At the base of the Ural mountainswe find a cluster of Serb toponyms. We can conclude that this branch of Serbs settled there for a period of time. Then we notice Serb toponyms moving in two directions. One going eastbound deep into Asiamoving along the Kama river and the other going WESTBOUND following the river Volga into Ukraine Poland. It is likely that this divergent movement happened because of a disagreement between the Serb tribal leaders of this tribe of 'Ural Serbs'. This faction which moved WESTBOUND eventually met up with the first group of Serbs which immediately left the Caucasus for Central Europe, as the direction of toponyms shows. This land eventually became to be called 'White Serbia' by Konstantine Porphyrogenitus.
We can conclude based on the distance of toponyms one from the other that they are the most dense in the modern Czech Republic, Western Ukraine, and southern Poland as well as Eastern Germany. This may have been the size of the 'White Serbia' which Porphyrogenitus spoke of. It would have been even by modern standards a large European nation. South of it was 'White Croatia' as we can tell by Croatian toponyms in Slovak and Hungarian lands.
Having migrated from the southern Caucasusto the north, as we can see by the shift in the toponyms northward, we see other Serb toponyms moving eastward towards the Ural mountains and the Kama river and we even find Serb toponyms along Russia's border with China. It would appear that when the Serbs left the Caucasusregion they split into two groups moving in separate directions. One moved into the southern Ukraine and along the Carpathians into Northern Europe the other eastbound to the base of the Ural mountains. We see a string of Serb toponyms from there moving westbound along the Volgaand another string on the same longitude moving eastbound deep into Siberia. Along the coast of the Sea of Japan there are two towns named 'Serbia' and two other towns named after the Serb toponym Rashka (a name the Serbs took to them wherever they went; it is distinctly Serb and not Slavic, it might have meant river, this would explain the many hydronyms derived from 'Rash' in Poland, Germany and Russia where Old Serbs settled).
Serb toponyms aren't thrown around Europe and Asiarandomly, they are often in rows and lines one after the other, moving in a particular direction:
1. northwest from the Caucasus along present the Carpathians into Central Europe.
2. northeast from the Caucasus to the Urals into Siberia.
3. from the Urals westbound to Central Europe.
It is wisest to conclude that diverging Serb toponyms mark the path various Serb tribes took while they were migrating from the Caucasus to Europe and Asia. Interestingly the migrations are not in accordance to Slavic migrations, thus implying that Serbs were overlords to the Slavs and migrated and existed together with the Slavs.
Here are the locations of Serb toponyms in alphabetical order:
Sarbai 58N 49E 152 498
Sarbaktuy 51N 116E 557 1827
Sarbala 53N 87E 232 761
Sarbala 60N 43E 111 364
Sarbalin 54N 74E 103 337
Sarbalyk 55N 76E 110 360
Sarbayevo 55N 45E 249 816
Sarbay 51N 57E 412 1351
Sarbay 52N 56E 182 597
Sarbay 53N 51E 198 649
Sarbay 54N 56E 145 475
Sarbay 58N 49E 152 498
Sarba 55N 76E 110 360
Sarbiya 52N 57E 696 2283
Serbilovo 56N 40E 157 515
Serbinka 51N 43E 181 593
Serbinka 52N 36E 246 807
Serbino-Vedenyapina 51N 43E 175 574
Serbino-Vedenyapino 51N 43E 175 574
Serbinovka 54N 73E 128 419
Serbinovskiy 49N 40E 183 600
Serbino 53N 40E 160 524
Serbino 58N 28E 55 180
Serbin 45N 38E 16 52
Serboyan 55N 83E 155 508
Serbilovo 56N 40E 157 515
Serbinka 51N 43E 181 593
Serbinka 52N 36E 246 807
Serbino-Vedenyapina 51N 43E 175 574
Serbino-Vedenyapino 51N 43E 175 574
Serbinovka 54N 73E 128 419
Serbinovskiy 49N 40E 183 600
Serbino 53N 40E 160 524
Serbino 58N 28E 55 180
Serbin 45N 38E 16 52
Serbiya 51N 37E 209 685
Serbiya 52N 57E 696 2283
Serbiya 64N 142E 564 1850
Serbolovo 57N 30E 94 308
Sorbala 60N 43E 111 364
Sirbishina 57N 60E 218 715
Sirbishino 57N 60E 218 715
Srbce 49N 17E 328 1076
Srbce 49N 16E 397 1302
Srbce 50N 15E 194 636
Srbetsch 50N 13E 330 1082
Srbeˇ 50N 13E 330 1082
Srbice 49N 13E 487 1597
Srbice 49N 13E 433 1420
Srbice 49N 14E 495 1624
Srbice 50N 13E 207 679
Srbsko 49N 14E 270 885
Srbsko 50N 15E 317 1040
Srbská Kamenice 50N 14E 318 1043
Srbská 50N 15E 354 1161
Srby 49N 13E 407 1335
Srby 49N 12E 399 1309
Srby 50N 14E 426 1397
Srbín 49N 14E 439 1440
Here are the locations of RASH toponyms in order of appearance:
Georgia:
Roshka, Georgia, Republic of Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 4.14, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
42.5464 Longitude 44.9228 Altitude (feet) 5935
Lat (DMS)
42° 32' 47N Long (DMS) 44° 55' 22E Altitude (meters) 1808
Roshka-Khorkhi, Gora, Georgia, Republic of Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 4.76, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
42.5692 Longitude 44.8258 Altitude (feet) 9767
Lat (DMS)
42° 34' 9N Long (DMS) 44° 49' 33E Altitude (meters) 2976
From here, the Serbs move to two directions one NORTHEAST towards the Urals, the other NORTHWEST towards Central and Eastern Europe.
Russia:
(behind the Urals)
Rashkina, Russia Page
Latitude
59.9500 Longitude 61.5833 Altitude (feet) 131
Lat (DMS)
59° 57' 0N Long (DMS) 61° 34' 60E Altitude (meters) 39
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=59.9500&long=61.5833&name=Rashkina&cty=Russia&alt=131
Here is where there is a cluster of Serb toponyms as well. This must have been where this Serb tribe settled for a period of time. But then, one branch moved EASTBOUND deep into Siberia... to the coast of the Sea of Japan...
Rashkino, Russia Page
Latitude
43.6667 Longitude 131.7167 Altitude (feet) 456
Lat (DMS)
43° 40' 0N Long (DMS) 131° 43' 0E Altitude (meters) 138
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=43.6667&long=131.7167&name=Rashkino&cty=Russia&alt=456
Here we find two cities named Serbia and two named after Rashka.
Ukraine:
Rashkovichi, Ukraine Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 4.02, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
52.1053 Longitude 34.0717 Altitude (feet) 620
Lat (DMS)
52° 6' 19N Long (DMS) 34° 4' 18E Altitude (meters) 188
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=52.1053&long=34.0717&name=Rashkovichi&cty=Ukraine&alt=620
Rashkov, Ukraine Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.08, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
48.5000 Longitude 26.3000 Altitude (feet) 856
Lat (DMS)
48° 30' 0N Long (DMS) 26° 18' 0E Altitude (meters) 260
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=48.5000&long=26.3000&name=Rashkov&cty=Ukraine&alt=856
Rashkov, Ukraine Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.26, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
Longitude 25.4167 Altitude (feet) 1003
Lat (DMS)
0° 0' 0S Long (DMS) 25° 25' 0E Altitude (meters) 305
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi? lat=48.7333&long=25.4167&name=Rashkov&cty=Ukraine&alt=1003
Rashkuv, Ukraine Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.30, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
48.7333 Longitude 25.4167 Altitude (feet) 1003
Lat (DMS)
48° 43' 60N Long (DMS) 25° 25' 0E Altitude (meters) 305
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=48.7333&long=25.4167&name=Rashkuv&cty=Ukraine&alt=1003
Rashovka, Ukraine Page
Latitude
50.2167 Longitude 33.9000 Altitude (feet) 321
Lat (DMS)
50° 13' 0N Long (DMS) 33° 53' 60E Altitude (meters) 97
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.2167&long=33.9000&name=Rashovka&cty=Ukraine&alt=321
Raska, Ukraine Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.59, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
50.7500 Longitude 29.6000 Altitude (feet) 452
Lat (DMS)
50° 45' 0N Long (DMS) 29° 36' 0E Altitude (meters) 137
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.7500&long=29.6000&name=Raska&cty=Ukraine&alt=452
Poland:
We see a row of Serb toponyms throughout northern Poland and Russia. It is likely that when the Volga Serbs split into two separate tribes moving in two separate directions, the row of Serb toponyms moving through northern Russia and Poland and Ukraine may have been the route taken by this westbound group of Volga Serbs to meet up wit the first group of Serbs which immediately moved from the Caucasus into Central Europe.
Rasy, Poland Page
Very abbreviated output: load average is 19.24, which is greater than 3 (weather) and 8 (nearby links).
Latitude
51.4167 Longitude 19.3833 Altitude (feet) 734
Lat (DMS)
51° 25' 0N Long (DMS) 19° 22' 60E Altitude (meters) 223
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=51.4167&long=19.3833&name=Rasy&cty=Poland&alt=734
Raszczyce, Poland Page
Very abbreviated output: load average is 15.64, which is greater than 3 (weather) and 8 (nearby links).
Latitude
50.1167 Longitude 18.3000 Altitude (feet) 826
Lat (DMS)
50° 7' 0N Long (DMS) 18° 18' 0E Altitude (meters) 251
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.1167&long=18.3000&name=Raszczyce&cty=Poland&alt=826
Raszelki, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 6.22, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
Longitude 18.7500 Altitude (feet) 396
Lat (DMS)
0° 0' 0S Long (DMS) 18° 45' 0E Altitude (meters) 120
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi? lat=51.7500&long=18.7500&name=Raszelki&cty=Poland&alt=396
Raszewo, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.28, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
52.4667 Longitude 20.2667 Altitude (feet) 406
Lat (DMS)
52° 28' 0N Long (DMS) 20° 16' 0E Altitude (meters) 123
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=52.4667&long=20.2667&name=Raszewo&cty=Poland&alt=406
Raszewy, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 5.22, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
51.7167 Longitude 17.1500 Altitude (feet) 364
Lat (DMS)
51° 43' 0N Long (DMS) 17° 8' 60E Altitude (meters) 110
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=51.7167&long=17.1500&name=Raszewy&cty=Poland&alt=364
Raszewy, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 4.26, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
52.0833 Longitude 17.6000 Altitude (feet) 269
Lat (DMS)
52° 4' 60N Long (DMS) 17° 36' 0E Altitude (meters) 81
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=52.0833&long=17.6000&name=Raszewy&cty=Poland&alt=269
Raszkówek, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.40, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
51.7167 Longitude 17.7333 Altitude (feet) 456
Lat (DMS)
51° 43' 0N Long (DMS) 17° 43' 60E Altitude (meters) 138
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=51.7167&long=17.7333&name=Raszk%f3wek&cty=Poland&alt=456
Raszków, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 4.61, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
50.4833 Longitude 16.5000 Altitude (feet) 1522
Lat (DMS)
50° 28' 60N Long (DMS) 16° 30' 0E Altitude (meters) 463
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.4833&long=16.5000&name=Raszk%f3w&cty=Poland&alt=1522
Raszków, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.69, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
50.5833 Longitude 19.9333 Altitude (feet) 974
Lat (DMS)
50° 34' 60N Long (DMS) 19° 55' 60E Altitude (meters) 296
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.5833&long=19.9333&name=Raszk%f3w&cty=Poland&alt=974
Raszków, Poland Page
Latitude
51.7167 Longitude 17.7333 Altitude (feet) 456
Lat (DMS)
51° 43' 0N Long (DMS) 17° 43' 60E Altitude (meters) 138
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=51.7167&long=17.7333&name=Raszk%f3w&cty=Poland&alt=456
Raszowa, Poland Page
Latitude
50.3833 Longitude 18.1667 Altitude (feet) 590
Lat (DMS)
50° 22' 60N Long (DMS) 18° 10' 0E Altitude (meters) 179
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.3833&long=18.1667&name=Raszowa&cty=Poland&alt=590
Raszowa, Poland Page
Abbreviated output: load average is 3.14, which is greater than 3.
Latitude
50.6000 Longitude 18.1167 Altitude (feet) 577
Lat (DMS)
50° 36' 0N Long (DMS) 18° 7' 0E Altitude (meters) 175
http://www.calle.com/info.cgi?lat=50.6000&long=18.1167&name=Raszowa&cty=Poland&alt=577